Happy Independence Day America!

A C-130 Hercules from the Air Force Reserve Command’s 440th Airlift Wing at General Mitchell Air Reserve Station, Wis., sits on the ramp during a 4th of July fireworks display taking place in a neighboring community. U.S. Air Force Photo #2 by Joe Oliva

Army Deployed Soldiers ‘unleash the chaos’ for Independence Day. Soldiers with Company C, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, celebrate the Fourth of July by throwing chemical lights into the air to take the place of fireworks during an Independence Day celebration. U.S. Army Photo #6 by Pfc. Kimberly Hackbarth, 4th SBCT PAO, 2nd Inf. Div, USD-C

A U.S. Coast Guard rescue boat, from Coast Guard Station Sandy Hook, NJ, patrols the East River near the Macy’s fireworks barges. Dozens of Coast Guard patrol and rescue boats provide security for the July 4th celebration in New York. USCG Photo #8 by PA2 Tom Sperduto

Birth of the USA via Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This military photo was noted by U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command as “Each year, Philadelphia hosts millions of residents and visitors for a celebration of the nation’s birthday.” U.S. Army Photo #9 by Staff Sgt. Sharilyn Wells

Grand finale of Washington’s Independence Day fireworks display goes out with a bang over the Marine Corps War Memorial July 4. The fireworks were launched from the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Prior to the 1900s, guns and cannons were used to commemorate the Fourth of July holiday; however, this caused hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries. U.S. Marines Photo #13 by Sgt. Clinton Firstbrook

A C-47 cargo aircraft highlights the foreground during a Fourth of July fireworks display near the parade grounds of the 37th Training Wing at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. The C-47 was one of the workhorses of the Berlin Airlift humanitarian mission shortly after the birth of of the U.S. Air Force in 1947. U.S. Air Force Photo #15 by Lance Cheung

From left, U.S. Army Spc. Charles Henderson, Pfc. Collen Wells and Spc. Marshall Hodge sit inside an improvised shelter decorated with an American flag during Operation Helmand Spider in Badula Qulp, Afghanistan. The Soldiers are assigned to the Bravo Company, 4th Battalion, 23th Infantry Regiment. DoD Photo #16 by Tech. Sgt. Efren Lopez, U.S. Air Force

The C-141B Starlifter is the workhorse of the Air Mobility Command. The Starlifter fulfills the vast spectrum of airlift requirements through its ability to airlift combat forces over long distances, deliver those forces and their equipment either by air, land or airdrop, resupply forces and transport the sick and wounded from the hostile area to advanced medical facilities. The C-141 force, nearing nine million flying hours, has a proven reliability and long-range capability. In addition to training, worldwide airlift and combat support, the C-141 has amassed a laudatory record in response to humanitarian crises. The C-141, with its changeable cargo compartment, can transition from rollers on the floor for palletized cargo to a smooth floor for wheeled vehicles to aft facing seats or sidewall canvas seats for passengers, quickly and easily, to handle over 30 different missions. U.S. Air Force Photo #18 by Senior Airman Greg Davis